Toothbrush



p 1933. r R. J. CARPENTIER 1,928,328

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 25, 1931 m V I gf/y a EJCEF UEJZZIEF Q- ZO Z W? Patented Sept. 26, 1933 Q UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOOTHBRUSH I Romeo J. Carpentier, Rhinelander, Wis., assignor of twenty-seven and forty-one one-hnndreclths per cent to Erik Dempster Lindegren, Rhinelander, Wis.

Application November 25, 1931 Serial No. 577,221

2 Claims. (01. 15-167) This invention relates to improvement in tion embedded in the inner section 1 and the tooth brushes. smaller end embedded in the outer section 3'. One of the objects of the present invention is This taperin of the spring will equalize the the provision of an improved type of tooth brush, lever action on the first; joint from the handle 5 wherein the bristle carrying head is of flexible end of the brush and will distribute the curving 60 construction to permit the same to readily conaction equally and uniformly on the two joints form to the curvature of the teeth during the and thus insure a more even uniform curve withuse of the brush to carry out an efficient cleaning out strain. Thus the flexibility of the spring inof the teeth and massage of the gums. creases toward the free end of the brush head Another object of the present invention is the and the intermediate segment of the brush head provision of improvements in the construction is prevented from being unduly flexed, so as to of tooth brushes, wherein the bristle carrying prevent the carrying of the outermost brush head head is formed of a plurality of segments or secsegment away from the teeth. tions arranged in spaced relation to permit move- From this it will be apparent that as the sev- '15 ment of the sections without interference with eral sections are spaced from each other, the 70 one another, and are integrally connected by yieldable plate 5 will form a yieldable connecmeans of a yieldable member which will permit tion between the several sections. the segments to move independently of one an-' The plate 5 is provided in its longitudinal edges other, so that the bristles on the entire head will with a plurality of V-shaped notches 6, with one 0 readily conform to the contour of the teeth durof said notches arranged upon opposite sides of ing the cleaning operation. the plate in eachoi said sections. By provid- A further object of the present invention is the ing the notches 6 in the plate 5, the material of provision of an improved tooth brush wherein which the sections 1, 2 and 3 are formed will the head is constructed of a plurality of yieldextend into the notches 6 and securely retain ably connected bristle sections, with a comparathe plate 5 against any longitudinal movement tively rigid handle connected to one of said sec relative to the said sections. The usual constructions whereby the bristle carrying sections can tion of tooth brushes is to mold the bristles 4 be used for cleaning the teeth and conform to into the head, the material of which the brush the curvature thereof and simultaneously impart is formed being such that it can be heated to a massage operation to the gums. a plastic condition so that the plate 5 can be With the above and other objects in view, the readily embedded therein. invention consists in the novel features of con- Formed integral with the inner section 1, is

struction, the combination and arrangement of a handle '7 preferably provided with a tapering parts hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed shank 8 where it connects to the section 1 and out in the claims and shown in the accompanythe outer end of the handle is provided with an 90 ing drawing wherein: aperture 9, usually formed in the handles of Figure 1 is a detailed section on the line 1--1 tooth brushes for suspending a brush on a; hook of Figure 2, showing the general construction of or the like when the same is not in use. The apermy improved tooth brush; ture 9 can be omitted from the construction of r 40 Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of the brush, as this feature is immaterial of my Figure 1. improvement.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, From the above construction taken in connecwherein I have illustrated one of the embodition with the accompanying drawing, it will be ments of my invention, it will be noted that the apparent that I have provided a simple and inbristle carrying head is formed of a plurality of expensive type of tooth brush, wherein the bris- 100 sections indicated at 1, 2 and 3. While, in the tle carrying head is formed of a pluralityof present instance, I have illustrated the head as yieldably connected sections, so that when the formed of three separate sections, it will be apbrush is used upon the teeth, the bristle carryparent that various numbers of sections can be ing head will readily conform to the contour r used for carrying out the idea. thereof.

Each one of the sections 1, 2 and 3 carry the When the brush is brought into engagement usual type of bristle indicated at 4 and the sev-- with the teeth upon the inner side or the outer eral sections have embedded therein and extendside, it will reach all parts of the teeth during ing longitudinally of the head, a yieldable plate the cleaning operation and principally the in- 5 which tapers longitudinally with the larger porside of the teeth which are usually inaccessible and difficult to clean with the standard, rigid brush head.

The device is very simple and inexpensive in construction and can be manufactured and placed on the market at a low cost.

Attention is directed to the fact that the yieldable plate 5 must necessarily be formed from a non-corrosive metal whereby the device as a whole is absolutely sanitary.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent from the foregoing that slight changes may be made in the construction when putting the invention into practice without departing from the spirit of the same or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tooth brush including a handle, a series of spaced bristle carrying sections arranged in alinement and the inner of which is connected to the handle, and a flat flexible strip embedded in all of the sections, said strip being normally substantially straight and having its opposite longitudinal side edges converging from the inner end thereof to the outer end in substantially straight lines and to cause the outer end of the strip to be of materially less width than the inner end, whereby to allow the sections to flex in a substantially uniform curve corresponding to the curvature of the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth.

2. A tooth brush including a handle, a series of spaced bristle carrying sections arranged in alinement and the inner of which is connected to the handle, and a flat flexible strip embedded in all of the sections, said strip being normally substantially straight and having its opposite longitudinal side edges converging from the inner end thereof to the outer end in substantially straight lines and to cause the outer end of the strip to be of materially less width than the inner end whereby to allow the sections to flex in a substantially uniform curve corresponding to the curvature of the inner and outer surfaces of the teeth, and said strip having a pair of notches for each of the sections and into which the latter extend whereby to anchor the sections to the strip, the notches of the respective pairs occurring on opposite side edges of the strip.

ROMEO J. CARPENTIER. 

